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Lesson Plans


RE: twist on "art show incident"

From: Kimberly Herbert (kimberly)
Date: Sun May 28 2000 - 07:28:58 PDT

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    Have you ever watched a parent teach a child it is ok to steal? I see it far
    to often. One wall of the museum art studio is 1/2 floor to almost ceiling
    cupboards (the other half is sinks and cleaning closet). I have seen parents
    take down our activity and pull out supplies and make up their own
    activities - often these supplies are for planned activities or classes.
    During our Mexican Folk Toys Exhibit, two girls came out and asked if they
    could take some yarn home to finish their God's Eyes. I said sure. They
    walked out looking about 20 pounds heavier - they had stuffed 2 milk crates
    of yarn down their shirts. We have a recycling table with some exhibits (it
    stays up till I get sick of cleaning it then comes down for a few months).
    After we have given the school kids their plastic bags to carry their art
    back to school, some parents encourage them to take whatever they want off
    the recycling table - I've seen it almost emptied while the next group was
    waiting to come into the art studio. The parent could see these kids waiting
    outside and she was encouraging her kid and the girl's friends to take
    everything they could carry out!
    Every time I have stopped them, and every time I get a variation on the same
    response. We paid our admission fee we should be able to take what ever we
    want. People admission to the museum is $2.00 per person with discounts for
    Military, Military Dependents, seniors, Angelo State University students,
    San Angelo ISD students (we are partnering with the university and the ISD
    for some projects), and school groups are a $1.00 per student and no charge
    for adults - and they want to take $10 -$50 dollars of supplies home with
    them!!!!
    At least the people who steal from the gravity well and donation jar don't
    pretend - they just say if you don't want us to take it you shouldn't leave
    it out.
    The woman who took the cake is the ************ who spent an hour trying to
    save my soul by bringing me over to Jesus and condemning all Catholics to
    hell as idol worshipers (she heard me say something to a coworker about
    meeting her after Mass to go to a movie - the joys of life in the bible belt
    is a whole other post) - then tried to justify walking out with a stack of
    my construction paper as getting the most out of her admission money!
    On the other hand I have parents who come to the museum just to drop off
    stuff for the recycled art table or extra supplies that they had left over
    from a project they did at their child's school/scout troop/church class -
    like a box of clay - and the teacher wasn't going to be able to use it and
    didn't have storage for it.

    Kimberly Herbert (kimberly)
    CAM Administrator
    San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts/Children's Art Museum

    -----Original Message-----
    From: KLMVisArt [KLMVisArt]
    Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2000 7:17 AM
    To: ArtsEdNet Talk
    Subject: Re: twist on "art show incident"

    Here's the facts...

    The colored pencils were in a labeled box- with my handwriting. They were
    not covered but were out in the open (because I have no closet and must get
    everything set for the day). Since my building is 3 floors plus a modular
    building and I only have 5 minutes between classes- no cart here! - I often
    have to set things up in my hall space. The supplies in question were
    property of the art dept. Because this school is so much larger than my
    others, with higher class sizes, I often borrow supplies from the other
    schools that I teach at. Such was the case here.

    The town allows for a specific dollar amt. to be spent on each student,
    however the principal at this school cut my budget to pay for classroom
    teachers' art supplies... something I plan to propose changing this year. I
    am only a 2nd year teacher and learning quickly to speak up! Sorry for
    venting without providing the facts. I simply can't get over someone taking
    student supplies just because they are out in the open! Too trusting I
    guess...
    Kerry
    By the way she admitted that she was taking them home for her own use but
    without apology. It wasn't until after I explained that they were needed
    for
    the students that she was "sorry". It would have been much different if it
    were for classroom use that benefits the students. Still, I do like to know
    when someone is borrowing or taking supplies. I know that it happens often
    without so much as a note. This makes it difficult for me to keep track of
    my stock. We had another incident where the oaktag disappeared this year-
    all of it!!!! 

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